Tomorrow’s ‘Salons à la française’

The nerve centre of the Institut, Les Salons are in constant use for a wide range of workshops and receptions. They were eventually bound to suffer some damage as a result. Renovating these spaces is now a necessity, in order to maintain and expand their buzzing activity. Our aim is to:

Make full use of the spaces’ complementarity: conferences, concerts, debates, film premieres, among others, will benefit from the joint use of a cinema and a gorgeous new reception space. For instance, a film screening experience could be enriched by a discussion with cast members or a reception in the refined atmosphere of Les Salons. This is something we already do, but not often enough, because we lack appropriate spaces and furniture to host such events. Projet Lumière(s) will allow us to honour Les Salons’ full potential!

Improve the environment of children’s activities: Projet Lumière(s) has been conceived with special dedication to young people. Among the numerous activities to be created, Les Salons will for instance help us offer youngsters more workshops on the model of the French Days, and will favour the creation of new programmes such as a future Youth Ciné Club.

Offer a new classical music programme with the renovation of our venerable ‘3 bis’ Pleyel piano – which currently sits unused in Les Salons – starting with chamber music concerts and lunch-time recitals.

Help us revive the tradition of the ‘salon à la française’ by transforming Les Salons into a place for exchanges and debate, a warm and welcoming foyer where British and French visitors alike can feel at home!